Literary Translation

So, we may have read a translated book, right? There are many interesting titles out there, many of which have been authored by Latin American people, who have climbed they way up to success and recognition not only in their country, but also worldwide. One can talk about the work of Octavio Paz, Laura Esquivel, Gabriela Mistral, and many more; but what is really behind a literary translation? Can we be sure the content and message are really being conveyed for English-only readers to understand them?… to really know what the author wants us to learn and feel? These are questions very difficult to answer. However, we must keep them in mind whenever we come across a book that has been translated and catches our eyes. I have heard though that authors are the worst translators because they incorporate their own feelings and not those of the author. Moving forward, we will try to make an analysis of several works on literary translations of US authors, both of Hispanic and non-Hispanic background.